1,000 DREAMS

MARIA'S CLOSET CELEBRATES ITS 1,000th PROM DRESS DONATION

by SPT Staff

On Sunday, March 19, local nonprofit Maria’s Closet celebrated its 1,000th prom dress donation at its annual Big Give event at Mary Star High School.

Mary Star’s gymnasium was converted into a “prom dress wonderland,” complete with three long rows of dresses of various colors and styles, a jewelry and handbag station, a professional photo booth, and a 360-degree video station.

More than 160 volunteers accompanied high school girls from across Southern California as they picked out their prom dresses – plus jewelry, makeup, and other accessories – all courtesy of Maria’s Closet and their ever-growing list of donors.

Founded in 2016, the volunteer-run charity based in San Pedro has provided free prom dresses and accessories to high school girls whose families are facing financial hardship. In addition to the Big Give, they also organize the annual Adult Prom fundraiser and recently teamed with Willenberg Career and Transition Center in San Pedro as it prepared for its first-ever prom last year.

Founded by Ronna Luna, Maria’s Closet is named after Luna’s mother-in-law, Maria Luna, who “personified kindness and generosity.” Maria’s spirit led Luna to create Maria’s Closet after she experienced helping a San Pedro High School student shop for her prom dress and witnessing firsthand how much that moment meant to her.

San Pedro Today congratulates Ronna Luna and the incredible volunteers at Maria's Closet who made this year’s event a success. spt

For more information, visit mariasclosets.org.